HANNIBAL - As the contractor of the new Champ Clark Bridge, Massman Construction and the entire Champ Clark Bridge team, invites the public to come to their project office "village" on the waterfront in Louisiana the last Saturday each month at 10 a.m. to learn more from the engineers and construction workers who are making the new bridge a reality.

This month's Saturday CC Bridge Update will be held Saturday, February 24 at 10 a.m.at 120 South Main in Louisiana.

HANNIBAL – Massman Construction has announced the retaining wall that will be built near the bluff on the south side of the new bridge will be rosemary colored and ledgestone patterned. An example of what the selected options will look like is available on the construction page of the Champ Clark Bridge web site. “We were very pleased with the participation of those interested in the new bridge,” said Michael Massman, design-build coordinator of the project. He indicated 576 votes were cast and ledgestone was the overwhelming choice of pattern with 89%, while the color rosemary was with 59% of the vote.

Massman indicated the next step is to contract with a supplier to order the materials. He expects construction on the wall to begin this spring.

HANNIBAL - Weather permitting, Monday, January 29 through February 2, the U.S. Route 54 Champ Clark Bridge in Louisiana will close each day from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

As crews work to construct piers for the new bridge, there have been some “close calls” from debris coming off the existing bridge. “The narrowness of the existing Champ Clark Bridge can cause side mirrors and other debris to be a safety concern for crews below the bridge on the barges” explained Missouri Department of Transportation Resident Engineer Brandi Baldwin, P.E. “We will be installing netting on the outside of the existing bridge to catch anything that falls or is thrown out, and this work will require workers to be on the outside of the truss working from a crane, and workers inside the truss working from a man-lift,” she further explained.

Each month, the Champ Clark Bridge team will publish an online newsletter that can be printed and shared. The newsletter can be found under the "What's Going On?" box on the right side of the web site, then clicking "Bridge Newsletter." If you would like to be notified when the newsletter is updated, as well as other work that is going on at the Champ Clark Bridge, be sure to click on the "Sign Up For Alerts" box, also on the right side of the web site. Here is a direct link to the newsletter...enjoy!

HANNIBAL – While construction crews continue to work in the water setting casings to build the piers for the new bridge, other work is progressing on land. “Crews are clearing trees on the Illinois side of the bridge now to prepare the area for additional construction on the new bridge,” said Missouri Department of Transportation Area Engineer Brian Haeffner. He said there is a possibility for intermittent lane closures on the Illinois side of U.S. Route 54. “The work will be taking place over the next month, and we appreciate the patience of those who drive across the bridge, in the event of a brief closure,” he added.

HANNIBAL – All wide loads needing to cross the U.S. Route 54 Mississippi River Bridge in Louisiana, have new locations to pull off and wait for law enforcement escorts due to work at the intersection of U.S. 54 and Missouri Route 79, in conjunction with the work being done for the new Champ Clark Bridge. Friday, October 27, the contractor will relocate the designated pull off areas for oversized loads under the 40 ton limit, needing to cross the bridge from Missouri into Illinois.

“Previously, these oversized vehicles had one location to pull off, yet with the intersection and bridge work, there is a need to provide two separate locations,” said Missouri Department of Transportation Area Engineer Brian Haeffner. For oversized vehicles traveling north on MO 79 through Louisiana, the pull off will be at the south end of Louisiana, approximately 1.5 miles south of the U.S. 54/MO 79 intersection. For oversized vehicles traveling east on U.S. 54, the new pull off area will be on U.S. 54, just west of the existing pull off area, in front of the old school building. These pull offs will remain in place until the new bridge is completed in the Fall of 2019.

HANNIBAL – The road work at the U.S. Route 54 and Missouri Route 79 intersection in Louisiana is entering the final phase of the project, which includes resurfacing of the road. Weather permitting, Monday, October 30th, the southern leg of the intersection of US 54 and MO 79 will close each day until Friday, November 3 as the contractor begins resurfacing. Signs will be set up for a detour, which includes routing motorists over to 7thStreet, then connecting with U.S. Route 54 at the intersection where MO 79 goes north.

HANNIBAL – Work is has begun to remove the ferry landing on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River near the Champ Clark Bridge, and anyone wanting to view progress can now go online and access the construction web cam. “This camera takes four to five shots of the bridge an hour at random intervals, so it refreshes every 10 to 15 minutes which gives viewers near real-time work,” said Missouri Department of Transportation Project Manager Keith Killen. He said the play button shows a condensed slide show of images. The web cam, along with construction photos and the latest online newsletter, can be accessed by clicking the "What's Going On Now" button on www.champclarkbridge.com.